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Current status of diagnosis and treatment of hepatic echinococcosis

Echinococcus granulosus (E. granulosus) and Echinococcus multilocularis (E. multilocularis) infections are the most common parasitic diseases that affect the liver. The disease course is typically slow and the patients tend to remain asymptomatic for many years. Often the diagnosis is incidental. Right upper quadrant abdominal pain, hepatitis, cholangitis, and anaphylaxis due to dissemination of the cyst are the main presenting symptoms. Ultrasonography is important in diagnosis. The World Health Organization classification, based on ultrasonographic findings, is used for staging of the disease and treatment selection. In addition to the imaging methods, immunological investigations are used to support the diagnosis. The available treatment options for E. granulosus infection include open surgery, percutaneous interventions, and pharmacotherapy. Aggressive surgery is the first-choice treatment for E. multilocularis infection, while pharmacotherapy is used as an adjunct to surgery. Due to a paucity of clinical studies, empirical evidence on the treatment of E. granulosus and E. multilocularis infections is largely lacking; there are no prominent and widely accepted clinical algorithms yet. In this article, we review the diagnosis and treatment of E. granulosus and E. multilocularis infections in the light of recent evidence.

A Rare Complication of Composite Dual Mesh: Migration and Enterocutaneous Fistula Formation

Introduction. Mesh is commonly employed for abdominal hernia repair because it ensures a low recurrence rate. However, enterocutaneous fistula due to mesh migration can occur as a very rare, late complication, for which diagnosis is very difficult. Presentation of Case. Here we report the case of an enterocutaneous fistula due to late mesh migration in a mentally retarded, diabetic, 35-year-old male after umbilical hernia repair with composite dual mesh in 2010. Discussion. Mesh is a foreign substance, because of that some of the complications including hematoma, seroma, foreign body reaction, organ damage, infection, mesh rejection, and fistula formation may occur after implantation of the mesh. In the literature, most cases of mesh-associated enterocutaneous fistula due to migration involved polypropylene meshes. Conclusion. This case serves as a reminder of migration of composite dual meshes.

What is the effect of treatment modality on red blood cell distribution width in patients with acute cholecystitis

OBJECTIVE The red blood cell distribution width (RDW) has recently been used as a marker to predict outcome in various patient groups. In this study, we aimed to examine how RDW is influenced during the treatment and follow-up of cases of acute cholecystitis which is a common inflammatory disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS Seventy-two patients who were treated for acute cholecystitis, were included into the study. The demographic data, leukocyte count, RDW, C-reactive protein (CRP) values and treatment protocols of these patients were prospectively recorded. The patients who received medical treatment for acute cholecystitis (Group A, n=33) and those who underwent surgery (Group B, n=39) were examined in separate groups. RESULTS There were 27 male and 45 female patients with a mean age of 50.1±18 years (min-max: 21-94). In Group B, 33 patients underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy, whereas 6 patients underwent open cholecystectomy. The RDW values on admission were not significantly different between two groups. However the post-treatment/pre-discharge RDW values were significantly lower in the surgical group (14.4±1.9 to 13.6±1.1, respectively, p<0.05). Also, no significant RDW change was identified in the medical treatment group based on an intra-group assessment, whereas a significant decrease was observed in Group B (on admission and following surgical treatment: 14.3±1.3, 13.6±1.1, respectively, p=0.015). No significant differences were observed between groups in terms of CRP and leucocyte values. CONCLUSION There was a significant decrease in RDW values in patients who were treated with surgery for acute cholecystitis, while this response could not be observed with medical treatment.

Preoperative Serum Levels of Mesothelin in Patients with Colon Cancer

Background. Screening for biochemical markers is important for diagnosing colon cancer. In this study, the reliability of serum mesothelin levels as a potential diagnostic and screening instrument was evaluated concerning colon cancer. Methods. Ninety-five patients who had undergone colonoscopic examination and who were diagnosed with colon cancer were included in the study. The serum mesothelin levels were measured with the ELISA kits and were evaluated in terms of significant difference when compared between colon cancer and control group. Results. Patients with colon cancer had significantly higher mesothelin serum levels (P < 0.001) than the control groups. We found significant associations between serum levels and tumor grade, perineural invasion, and vascular invasion (resp., P < 0.001). Conclusion. Evaluating the serum levels of mesothelin has a potential to detect and screen the colon cancer in affected patients. Our data suggest that mesothelin exhibits effects towards colon cancer and serves as a biomarker for this deadly disease.

Case of an intrahepatic sewing needle and review of the literature

An intrahepatic foreign body (FB) is rarely observed. In most cases, object passes from the gastrointestinal tract to the liver via migration. Uncomplicated intrahepatic FB can be followed without surgical intervention; however, complicated intrahepatic FB requires laparoscopy or laparotomy. Presently described is laparoscopic operation on 22-year-old female patient who had incidental sewing needle in the right liver lobe. As there were initially no complications, follow-up monitoring was recommended. However, the patient subsequently complained of stomach pain and developed fever. Laparoscopic exploration located sewing needle in the right liver lobe lateral to the gall bladder with end of needle protruding from the liver. Needle was removed with laparoscopic grasper. Review of the literature regarding 23 other intrahepatic sewing needle cases is also presented.

Inflammatory myofibroblastic pancreas tumor: a case report

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) histologically characterized by fibroblastic and myofibroblastic proliferation with inflammatory infiltrate. The therapy adopted was Whipples pancreaticoduodenectomy with a histological diagnosis of the inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor. The disease that should be considered as the differential diagnosis is pancreatic cancer. The diagnosis and treatment of IMT is surgical resection.

Pure Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Duodenum

Primary carcinomas of the small intestine are extremely rare neoplasms. Most of these are adenocarcinomas. Primary squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of small intestine is exceptionally rare with only occasional case reports in the literature. We report here a surgically treated patient with squamous cell carcinoma arising from duodenal diverticula in the third part of the duodenum.

Timing of cholecystectomy in biliary pancreatitis treatment

OBJECTIVE Gallstone pancreatitis constitutes 40% of all cases with pancreatitis while it constitutes up to 90% of cases with acute pancreatitis. The treatment modality in this patient population is still controversial. In this study, we aimed to compare the results of early and late cholecystectomy for patients with biliary pancreatitis. MATERIAL AND METHODS Patients treated with a diagnosis of acute biliary pancreatitis in our clinics between January 2000 and December 2011 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were divided into two groups: Group A, patients who underwent cholecystectomy during the first pancreatitis attack, Group B, patients who underwent an interval cholecystectomy at least 8 weeks after the first pancreatitis episode. The demographic characteristics, clinical symptoms, number of episodes, length of hospital stay, morbidity and mortality data were recorded. All data were evaluated with Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 13.0 for windows and p <0.05 was considered as statistically significant. RESULTS During the last 12 years, a total of 91 patients with surgical treatment for acute biliary pancreatitis were included into the study. There were 62 female and 29 male patients, with a mean age of 57.9±14.6 years (range: 21-89). A concomitant acute cholecystitis was present in 46.2% of the patients. Group A and B included 48 and 43 patients, respectively. The length of hospital stay was significantly higher in group B (9.4 vs. 6.8 days) (p<0,05). More than half of the patients in Group B were readmitted to the hospital for various reasons. No significant difference was observed between the two groups, one patient died due to heart failure in the postoperative period in group B. CONCLUSION In-hospital cholecystectomy after remission of acute pancreatitis is feasible. It will not only result in lower recurrence and complication rates but also shorten length of hospital stay. We recommend performing cholecystectomy during the course of the first episode in patients with acute pancreatitis.

Cholangiocarcinoma Presenting with Hypercalcemia and Thrombocytopenia

Malignant hypercalcemia and thrombocytopenia may result from bone metastasis of cholangiocarcinoma (CC). Our case was 53-year-old man admitted to emergency department with symptoms of anorexia, weight loss, nausea, vomiting, and general fatigue in February 2012. His laboratory findings showed hypercalcemia and thrombocytopenia. CT showed a large multinodular mass in the right lobe and, extending through left lobe of the liver. We considered the diagnosis of hypercalcemia of malignancy with elevated calcium levels and suppressed PTH level with the existence of skeletal bone metastasis and the absence of parathyroid gland pathology. Treatment of hypercalcemia with IV saline, furosemide, and calcitonin improved the patient symptoms. After the 8th day of admission, calcium level, thrombocytopenia, and other symptoms were normalized. Patient was sustained surgically inoperable and transferred to medical oncology department for the purpose of palliative chemotherapy and intended radiotherapy for bone metastasis. Hypercalcemia relapsed 4 weeks after discharge and patient died at the 5th month after admission due to disseminated metastasis. We should be aware of CC with symptomatic hypercalcemia and rarely low platelet count. The correction of hypercalcemia provides symptomatic relief and stability of patients.

Liver Metastases of Unknown Primary: Malignant Melanoma

According to the National Cancer Institutes (NCI) data, the increase in the number of patients diagnosed with malignant melanoma was found to be at a higher rate than the current increase in all other types of cancer (Jemal et al., 2008). Early diagnosis, appropriate surgical treatment, and chemotherapy have positive impacts on the course of the disease but despite these developments on the treatment, current prognosis of metastatic malignant melanoma prognosis is still extremely poor. Life expectancy in patients with metastatic disease is between 2 and 8 months. The 5-year disease-free survival rate is identified in only 5% of the patients (Leong, 2003) (Kirkwood et al., 1996). In this study, we try to report a patient with metastatic malignant melanoma and give recent informations about the liver metastases of malignant melanoma.